Northern Tradition witch and "Pennsylvania Dutch" hexeri Jj Starwalker shares her thoughts and views from her Maine homestead and studio.

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Tuesday, March 8, 2016

How do YOU get ALL the homestead things done?

I am thinking of offering a workshop by that title at the Common Ground Fair this fall. So the topic is on my mind a lot. My short answer is "you don't." I didn't when I was homesteading as a young newly married women, nor as a mother ( of one... or many) and I don't now, as a crone with a disabled (and currently ailing) partner.

I doubt if I am the only one to have a weeks worth of work on my daily "to do" list.

turkey roost to assemble in duck pen, where the young pair will be moved

young turkeys to be relocated, after getting wings clipped

sell spare tom

feed worms

medicate remaining 2 cats for worms

make seed blocks and plant cabbage and kale

cut hex blank
to cut

complete file cabinet sorting

wash dishes (two days worth

organize storage
cupboard

cull ducks (2)

What was NOT on the list was: take Tractor Guy to the doc. He has had debilitating pain from neck down the left arm to the hand, in various places off and on for several days (to be honest, it's been ON more than OFF and not responding to much for long.

That is the way it goes; there is always SOMETHING to be added. An emergency trip to town (2 hrs minimum), busted fences or pipes... something.

Young black tom, at left, was supposed to leave.
Young tom, front/center is staying.
Dad is in back.

And there are always things that don't get done. The turkeys' roost is done, the birds moved. ducks were culled, though not yet ready for being made into jerky. Laundry all got out AND back in. Won't be put away until tomorrow. Dishes are washed and dry on the counter. Hopefully Tractor Guy will be up to putting them away tomorrow, otherwise that will get added to tomorrow's list.

The extra tom is still here but at least I don't have to drive 2 hours (one way) to deliver him. The buyers will be here tomorrow to claim him. This is the result of a mistake a couple of days ago when they were here to buy him and he quickly sidestepped and in the chaos, we did not realize he had let his twin sister (there are a pair of black turkeys and a pair of others with lighter color markings both from the last hatch of 2015) take the fall. The folks want to keep her and acquire him as well, and were going to come pick him up this evening but their day got away from them too (see what I mean about everyone's lists being too long?) so their request to pick him up tomorrow was just fine with me!